View full sizeCourtesy of Bonnie RussellWest Genesee High School's Academic Decathlon Team placed first in the state championships Friday and Saturday at OCC. The team will now compete at the national level April 27-30 in North Carolina. Pictured in front from, left to right, are Alec Kearns, Kevan Spencer, and Jerry Roy. In the back, from left to right, are Matthew Serrao, Caitlin Nolan, Kaitlyn Richards, Thomas Brogan, Dennis "DJ" Campbell, Jennifer Smacher, and Coach Scott Duda. (Not pictured is team participant Abigail Hard.)

Camillus, NY - The state champion West Genesee High School Academic Decathlon Team is headed to North Carolina.

The team qualified for the national competition there April 27 to 30 by finishing first over six other teams at the state meet Friday and Saturday at Onondaga Community College.

"This is huge," said Bonnie Russell, West Genesee's school information officer who was at the competition cheering on the team.

This is the first time West Genesee has won the state competition. The last two years, they came in second.

Cazenovia, which has won the state competition the last several years, finished second at this weekend's state meet; Victor placed third.

Overall, West Genesee won 40 medals and the team award.

"It's a wonderful achievement for these kids," Russell said. "They have worked really, really hard for this."

Scott Duda, who teaches at West Genesee High School's learning center, coached the academic decathlon team.

West Genesee placed first in their regional competition in January, which allowed them to compete in the state championships, Russell said.

This year's theme was "The Great Depression." Categories were in music, art, social science, language and literature, math, economics, speech, essay, interview and super quiz.

Each team must consist of at least three members with "A" averages in their high school classes, at least three members with "B" averages, and at least three members with "C" averages, Russell explained.

"As in the Olympics, each student competes against the opponents members in the same grade class for gold, silver and bronze medals in each subject area," she said. "The overall team score is a composite of all participants."

Serrao, a senior, was one of two students at the state competition to receive a spirit award. He also received six other medals.

Campbell and Kearns also each earned seven medals; Spencer had five medals; Smacher had four; Richards and Brogan each had three; and Nolan and Roy had two medals each.